Throwdown: RSD Mutant and Surly Instigator 2.0

RSD Mutant

From our neighbors to the north comes the Mutant, a hardtail 29+ monster hell bent on global domination! Hailing from Toronto, RSD Bikes (Rubber Side Down) is showing promise with its new line-up of hardtail trail bikes and the Mutant shows the company is willing to be among the first to put a 29+ bike to market.

Built up from the same frame as RSD’s 29er trail bike, The Chief, the Mutant displays characteristics not unlike any other slackish trail bike: predictable handling, an easily lofted and agile front end, and it absolutely loves to roll. The beauty behind this wheel/tire size is it’s ability to remain playful and yet steamroll everything in its way.

Vital stats

MSRP: $2,400 (frame only $500)

Travel: ha!

Wheelsize: 29+ (29×3)

Drivetrain: SRAM X9 1×10

Brakes: Avid Elixir 5

Fork: RSD carbon with 15mm thru-axle

Surly Instigator 2.0

I was also assigned to the Instigator 2.0. This is a bike I think a lot of people were stoked to see come to fruition, including me. Though I missed the first iteration of the now infamous Instigator 1.0, I was no less eager to get this monster out on some dirt.

The raked-out, low slug profile of the Instigator, with its by beefy 26×2.75 Dirt Wizard knobbies and utilitarian brown paint job reminds me of the homegrown pick-up trucks I pined for in my youth, complete with DIY lift kit, mismatched body panels and ridiculously large tires. Part bad idea, part best thing ever.

This bike, much like a nightmare of a pick-up truck, has a distinct “get in, shut up and hold on” personality, for better or for worse. One thing is for sure, it won’t be a boring ride.

Vital stats

MSRP: $2,600

Travel: 140 mm front

Wheelsize: 26+ (26×2.75)

Drivetrain: Shimano SLX 1×10

Brakes: Shimano SLX

Fork: Fox Float 32 Evolution

Watch for my full-length review of both bikes in Issue #178 of Dirt Rag, on sale May 13.

Every year for the last few years, Dirt Rag has gathered up a half-dozen or so full-suspension trail bikes for complete testing that fall into the entry-level/affordable/budget category. Yes, three grand is still a lot of

The Surly Karate Monkey is an iconic hardtail that helped popularize 29er wheels back in the early 2000s. It remained unchanged for 14 years, until 2016, when Surly launched an update to the frame that